Blake Wheeler gets look on top line as Rangers preseason lines continue to be a work in progress

The Rangers preseason lines got another tinkering this morning, with Blake Wheeler joining Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad on the top line. Chris Kreider and Kaapo Kakko were reunited on the second line, joining Vincent Trocheck. Two-thirds of the Kid Line were joined by Jimmy Vesey –who still looks 12– and the fourth line was the expected Goodrow-Bonino-Pitlick trio.

The defense pairs were another version of what we’ve come to see and expect with the top four being reunited. Zac Jones got his look with Braden Schneider, while Erik Gustafsson was with Ben Harpur.

This tinkering with the Rangers preseason lines will continue through most of the preseason as Peter Laviolette learns his team and their personalities. This is a good thing, as Laviolette isn’t just going with what other coaches have tried. He’s putting his stamp on the team with what works within the system he wants to run.

There’s already more on-ice talk about puck support (shown above) and systems expectations than we saw all of last year. It’s about this becoming second nature, and when coupled with the proper lines, can really unlock the potential of this Rangers team.